Dining at the Carnival Steakhouse

On our recent cruise aboard the Carnival Magic, Ron and I received a complimentary Carnival Steakhouse Dinner. As you know, complimentary or not, I always share my 100% honest opinions on all of our adventures.

This was our eighth Carnival Cruise, our first aboard the Magic. We have never eaten in the Carnival Steakhouse before for one reason…it costs extra. Ron is frugal when it comes to dining out. If we can’t eat for under $40 at a restaurant, we don’t go to that restaurant, period. So paying $35 per person to eat on a cruise, when amazing food is available in the Main Dining Room or on the Lido Deck, just doesn’t make sense to him. Thankfully, we were blessed to be able to give it a try.

We booked our dinner in the Carnival Steakhouse from the phone in our stateroom. You can also book online before your cruise, or at the Carnival Steakhouse kiosk on the ship. We chose to dine at 6:00pm, the same time we would normally eat in the Main Dining Room so that we would remain on schedule with the rest of the family for the evening.

We checked in at the steakhouse just before 6:00pm. We were seated right away. We had two very attentive waitresses. The steakhouse seats approximately 50 people so it is a more intimate and quiet dining experience. You are still very close to the other tables so it is nice but not super romantic.

My 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak

The Carnival Steakhouse Food

The menu for the Carnival Steakhouse is full of delicious sounding choices. First we were brought a small tomato soup and some different breads to choose from. Next they brought by a tray with the different cuts of meat on it so that you could see the size and cut you would be choosing. We placed our orders for our appetizer, salad, and entree with side dish. I chose the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Sliced, Sun-Ripened Beefsteak Tomato, the 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak, and Baked Potato with all the trimmings. Ron ordered the Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Classic Caesar Salad, the 18oz Spice-rubbed Prime Ribeye Steak, and the Steamed Broccoli.

Our meals were amazing. Everything was cooked to perfection. The ribeyes were done just as we asked and were very flavorful. I thoroughly enjoyed my beefsteak tomato. The meal is well paced, you don’t feel rushed, but you also don’t notice too much lag time either. We were amazed that we each polished off an 18oz ribeye! It was just so good, you HAD to keep eating. As we were sitting there stuffed to the gills, the waitress came and asked what we would like for dessert. Did we have room for dessert? Well, I ordered the Cheesecake with Hazelnut Biscuit and Ron ordered the Sherbet. Honestly, the cheesecake was a let down. It was rather dry. Since I wasn’t very hungry I didn’t mind leaving most of the cheesecake behind. Next time I’ll order the Chocolate Sampler.

Is the Carnival Steakhouse Worth the Extra Money?

In one word, yes. I would love to return to the Carnival Steakhouse on a future cruise. While Ron would never be persuaded to pay for it, I would, just like I do all our “fancy” meals when we travel. I usually set aside money when we travel for 1 or 2 dining experiences that don’t fall in Ron’s budget. On future cruises, I will take us to the Carnival Steakhouse. The quality of the food, the ambiance, and the entire dining experience are worth the extra cost.

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